Relative contributions of uranium, thorium and potassium to heat production in the Earth
Abstract
Data from a wide variety of igneous rock types show that the ratio of potassium to uranium is approximately 1 X 10(4). This suggests that the value of K/U approximately 1 X 10(4) is characteristic of terrestrial materials and is distinct from the value of 8 X 10(4) found in chondrites. In a model earth with K/U approximately 10(4), uranium and thorium are the dominant sources of radioactive heat at the present time. This will permit the average terrestrial concentrations of uranium and thorium to be 2 to 4.7 times higher than that observed in chondrites. The resulting models of the terrestrial heat production will be considerably different from those for chondritic heat production because of the longer half-life of U(238) and Th(238) compared with K(40).
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For the chondritic model the shear stress S decreased by a factor of 12 over the last 4-5 Aeons, while for the Wasserburg et al. model the factor was 5.6.
“substitution for v and E shows that for the chondritic model S has decreased by a factor of 12 during the last 4-5 Aeons, while for that of Wasserburg et al. (1964) the factor is 5.6.”
From Speculations on the Thermal and Tectonic History of the Earth (2007) · cites this paper as Wasserburg et al. (1964)
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Speculations on the Thermal and Tectonic History of the Earth
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- Authors
- Wasserburg, G. J., MacDonald, G. J. F., Hoyle, F., & Fowler, W. A.
- Affiliations
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- ORCID
- Wasserburg, G. J.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 1964-01-31
- Volume
- 143
- Issue
- 3605
- Pages
- 465-467
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W1970051611
- Cited by
- 332
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 16.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Keywords
- radiogenic heat production, uranium, thorium, potassium, igneous rock, chondrites, uranium-238, potassium-40, half-life, Earth thermal evolution
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